Eleven Great Pools in the West

IF YOU'RE GOING...

One of the incidental pleasures of summer travel is the chance to take a dip in the hotel—or motel—pool. But not all pools are created equal. Here are our favorites.

Arizona Biltmore

Phoenix

Even with eight pools to choose from—one with a 92-foot water slide—we still love the blue-and-yellow-tiled Catalina best. So did Marilyn Monroe. (800) 950-0086, www.arizonabiltmore.com.

Berkeley City Club

Berkeley, California

You're not allowed to test the pools at Hearst Castle, but you can take a dip in another Julia Morgan pool when you stay here. Light pours in through Gothic windows to illuminate your laps. (510) 848-7800, www.berkeleycityclub.com.

Fairmont Vancouver Airport

Vancouver, B.C.

Wait for your flight while swimming in a pool above the departures hall. Wall-size windows looking down to the check-in counter let you monitor lines between laps. (604) 207-5200, www.fairmont.com.

The Wailea Canyon Activity Pool is comprised of nine smaller pools (at different levels) linked by a river. There's also a rope swing, a water elevator, and a swim-up bar. (808) 875-1234, www.grandwailea.com.

Indian Springs

Calistoga, California

What better way to end a day of winetasting than to slip into a lovely pool heated by thermal geysers? (707) 942-4913, www.indianspringscalistoga.com.

Mandalay Bay

Las Vegas

A giant wave pool sweeps you onto a sandy beach as many times as you can stand it; a lazy river offers a spot to catch your breath. (877) 632-7000, www.mandalaybay.com.